'US no Longer Considers the Removal of Assad Their Priority in Syria'

Washington is no longer focused on the removal of Syrian President Bashar Assad from power as its key priority in Syria, senior member of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, Alexei Pushkov has announced.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during a visit to Ankara that the "long-term status" of Assad should be decided by the Syrian people.

США уже не считают отстранение Асада своим приоритетом в Сирии. Этот сдвиг — признание его силы и отказа от провалившейся политики Обамы.

— Алексей Пушков (@Alexey_Pushkov) March 30, 2017

​"The US no longer considers the removal of Assad their priority in Syria. This shift is a recognition of his power and the rejection of the failed Obama policy," Pushkov wrote on Twitter.

Assad’s fate has been a stumbling block in the Syria peace talks for a long time, with the United States and its allies insisting he must step down, and Russia saying that the people of Syria are the ones who should decide on Assad’s future.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov stressed on Wednesday that Russia will not discuss the future of Assad with the United States, as it is an issue solely for the Syrian people to resolve.